Books and Movies Reviews: (Movie) Romulus, My Father directed by Richard Roxburgh

Monday, January 11, 2010

(Movie) Romulus, My Father directed by Richard Roxburgh

This is one of the movies, in the middle of which, you realize, the book on which this is based has to be great. But the movie itself seems to be a little disjointed and lacks the punch to make a big impact.

Everything about this movie just seems to be on the cusp of being great, except they invariably seem to miss the mark somehow. You wait for the punch. It never comes. The acting is good but not great. The story told has its powerful moments but you somehow feel that something has been missed, some thread not connected…

This movie is an adaptation of the book “Romulus, My Father” written by Australian philosopher Raimond Gaita, about his father and his attempts to raise his son (Raimond) agaisnt all adversity – including a increasingly unstable wife, betrayals, economic ruin and mental illness. In the midst of all this, Raimond is exposed to varied experiences and grows up much beyond his years, experiences including caring for a half-sister who is eventually abandoned, watching his mother become a stranger, caring for himself when he becomes all alone.

It is a touching story of survival and of the human spirit conquering all obstacles. Except, as I said, before, you feel that something vital has been lost in translation. Even the great acting by Kodi Smit-McPhee (who plays the child Raimond) and good performances by Eric Bana and Marton Csokas are not enough to lift the movie. You just don't seem to connect emotionally, though at many times, you get close to it…that's the whole problem with the movie. You want to like it, but it you just about cant…